Bottle rack and locker.



J. A.ICOLBERT.

BOTTLE RACK AND LOCKER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY Is. I9l5.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

IHH MIN 24 THE wLUMBIA moon?" cm, WASHINGTON. D. c.

JAM ES ALGOLBERT, OF DELPHOS, OHIO.

BOTTLE BACK AND LOCKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

Application filed May 15, 1915. Serial No. 28,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs A. COLBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Delphos, in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Racks and Lookers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to deposit and collection receptacles, more especially receptacles for milk bottles, and to means for preventing unauthorized removal of such bottles or th contents thereof.

One object of the present invention therefore, is the production of light, durable and efficient means for safeguarding milk deliveries. v

A further object is that of encouraging and insuring such deliveries invariably at the same convenient points, above the ground or porch floors, and out of reach of stray dogs, cats, or other animals.

A further object is that of utilizing the bottles consigned to these receptacles as part of the locking means.

A further object is that of producing receptacles of the class described Which are readily adjustable to accommodate bottles of varying size. j I i 7 With the foregoing and other objects in view the present structure has been invented, and the same will now be particularly described, its novel features being pointed out in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of this application for Letters Patent, and whereon like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention when not in service. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same showing a bottle in position. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the invention, taken on the zigzag line 3'3 of Fig. 2, bottles removed. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the structure, broken away upon its central surface exposing to view its locking bolt and correlative parts. Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section, but showing in full lines said locking bolt partly withdrawn, and Fig. 6 is also a detail view,

showing the same hollow locking bolt in cross section, together with a latch for enlar form, the same being thus arranged and adapted to conform substantially to the neck surface of an ordinary milk bottle A immediately below its beaded mouth. This bracket 3 may conveniently be made as a unitary casting, or, if formed of folded sheet metal as shown, it is flanged as at 5 and secured by screws or preferably by inside bolts to an intermediate block 6 which in turn isalso secured by screws or inside bolts to base 1.

Extending longitudinally and centrally through bracket 3 is a bolt-way 7 within which is mounted a horizontally reciprocating tubular bolt made of two sections 8 and 9 hinged together or pivotallyvconnected as at 10, so that its outer section 9 may, when desired, be elevated from a horizontal to a vertical position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. Within the hollow bolt member or section 8 there is secured, as by a through pin 11, a coiled tension spring 12 the oppo site end of which is pinned as at 13 to base 1, thus normally retracting said bolt sections to the position indicated by Fig. 4.

' Back of flange 5 the block 6 is recessed as at 14 at right angles to and immediately above the pathway of bolt section 8, and within this recess is mounted an overbalanced or' gravity latch 15 capable of being tilted upon pivot 16 whenever engaged at its shorter end as at 17 by a suitably formed key. This bolt section 8 is further provided with outer and inner transverse notches 18 and 19 respectively, with which said latch 15 may engage to retain the bolt section 8 either in a retracted or projected position.

' Extending upwardly from the latch-recess 1 is a keyhole 20 in vertical alinement with the notched end 17 of latch 15, and of a shape to admit only a key 21 of the proper cross-sectional form to enter it and tilt the said latch for purposes which will later appear.

Rigidly secured to and preferably forming part of the outer end of bolt section 9, and therefore vertically movable, are laterally disposed yoke members 22 each being of substantially semi-circular contour and the converse of their cooperating members 4-, so that the two may jointly surround the neck of a bottle or bottles when placed in the receptacle. lVhile upon the outer edge of the said yoke members 22 is provided a handle 23 by which same may be conven iently withdrawn and elevated when required. Thus it will be seen that the said sectional yoke members, normally in closed and locked relation, may at any time be unlocked by agency of a proper key, and then separated by an outward pull on handle 23, whereupon the outermost yoke member 22 may be raised to a vertical position thus permitting the introduction of a bottle neck or necks.

Below the locking structure thus far described there is a bottle rack comprising one or more receptacles for bottle bottoms, the present illustrations showing a dual structure, although it is obvious that the number of compartments may vary greatly, except that there should be one complete locking yoke for each of said compartments, and here again said yokes may all be under control of a common locking bolt 8. Secured to the lower center of base 1 is a projecting staple or U-shaped bolt 24 adapted to loosely receive a fiat slightly curved fastening-spur 25 depending from a vertical bracket 26, serving as a support for the entire bottle rack. This bracket 26 is perforated as at 27 and 28 to receive pins or screws 29 and 30 according to the adjusted positions of said rack, one pin 30 being engaged when the rack is positioned as shown for full quart bottles, both pins 29 and 30 being engaged by both holes 27 and 28 when positioned for shorter bottles, and in any event the spur 25 remaining in engagement with the U-shaped retaining bolt 24.

The supporting bracket 26 is provided with suitable offsetting arms and braces 31 to the front of which are rigidly and immovably secured individual circular bottle receptacles 32 of skeleton form adapted to confine and substantially fit the bottom of milk bottles, each of said individual receptacles being crossed diametrically by base-bands 33 as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings. And, as best shown by Fig. 1, there is provided between and immediately back of said receptacles 32, a semi-circular casing 34: broken by a central opening or window 35, through which may be seen a fan-shaped indicator 36, pivotally mounted at 37 and operated by a downward extension 38 to indicate the quantity of milk or other commodities desired.

This being a description of my invention in its best form of construction at present known to me, it should be understood that various changes in the form, arrangement and combination of parts may be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the spirit of my invention. For example, locking bolt 8 may be solid or tubular, round or square, key hole 20 may enter horizontally if preferred, and the key 21 as well as its cooperating latch or tumbler 15 may be variously modified to render picking more difficult.

This being substantially the construction of my invention, its advantages, uses and operation are self-apparent, and require no extended description or explanation. It may, however, be noted with what facility, after first unlocking, the yoke members 22 may be withdrawn or separated from the cooperating yoke members 4, and then tilted upward at an angle of 45 degrees the more readily to permit introduction of bottle bottoms into their respective receptacles 32 and bottle necks into the yoke members 4. More over, when so introduced it will be observed that the bottles themselves serve as connections between the bottle rack and superimposed neck engaging yokes or looking mechanism, to prevent withdrawal of the supporting bracket 26 from pins 29 and 30.

- This being a description of my invention what I new claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: g

1. In a bottle-rack the combination with reversely arranged separable yoke members, of a locking bar connecting said members and pivotally secured to one of them, and means for locking said bar in its retracted position.

2. In a bottle-rack the combination with reversely arranged separable yoke members, of a reciprocating locking bar connecting said members and pivotally secured to one of them, and means for locking said bar in its retracted position.

3. In a bottle-rack the combination with relatively fixed and movable yoke members, of a reciprocating locking bar upon which said movable yoke member is pivotally mounted, and means for locking said bar in its retracted position.

1. In a bottle-rack the combination with relatively fixed and movable reversely arranged yoke members, of a reciprocating locking bar upon which said movable yoke member is mounted, means for normally retaining said bar in retracted position, and

means for locking said bar against movement.

5. In a bottle-rack the combination with relatively fixed and movable reversely arranged yoke members, of a reciprocating locking bar made in hinged sections upon one of Which said movable yoke member is mounted, and means for locking said bar against movement in either direction.

6. In a bottle-rack the combination With relatively fixed and movable yoke members adapted to embrace the neck of a bottle, of

a reciprocating locking bar connecting said members and pivotally secured to one of them, means for locking said bar in its retracted position, and a retaining receptacle for the bottom of a bottle.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES A. COLBERT.

Witnesses:

T. B. SEvITz, J. -F. F0121).

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

